I had to cheat to implicate Huxley. But in the phrase there's also references to baptism (obviously) and the idea that one need come to salvation with the attitude/heart of a child (there's a scripture or two about it). That really turns expectations for the scene on its head.

To my mind, at least in the context of when Tolkien was writing The Hobbit, pecker=face (or chin). A queer turn of phrase, that.

1. The Company has a discussion about their next moves after they climb down from the Carrock, sitting in a little cave at the foot of the steps near the ford. After they finish the discussion, what is the next thing they all do?They clean the goblin-stink off themselves. (fantasy deleted) 2.Name two kinds of animals that act as Beorn’s servants.Dogs that walk on their hind legs and horses that carry trays of food on their backs 3.When Beorn returns from his excursion, as part of his explanation for what he’s been up to, he shows the Company two things that he’s just put outside his house. What are these two things?A goblin head on a pike, and a warg-skin 4.While the Company journeys from Beorn’s house to the eaves of Mirkwood, what does Bilbo see at dusk prowling nearby (he sees this same thing again in the morning when the Company sets the ponies free to return to Beorn’s house)?A huge bear. 5.What is Gandalf’s final bit of advice to the Company before he leaves them at the edge of Mirkwood?Don't leave the path! And don't get wet!"There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark."

This chapter always makes me crave soft, warm bread with lots of honey slathered over it. Maybe minuka honey from NZ? My grocery story has several types of NZ honey and I can't wait to try them.

1. The Company has a discussion about their next moves after they climb down from the Carrock, sitting in a little cave at the foot of the steps near the ford. After they finish the discussion, what is the next thing they all do? They're off to grandmother's house, of course! or is that the little girl with the red hood? Maybe it's to Beorn's house, although the dwarves and Bilbo don't know that - all they know is they're going to visit a Person.

2. Name two kinds of animals that act as Beorn’s servants.

Horses and dogs. The cats, of course, are supervising.

3. When Beorn returns from his excursion, as part of his explanation for what he’s been up to, he shows the Company two things that he’s just put outside his house. What are these two things?

Warg-pelt and goblin head. Ewwww.

4. While the Company journeys from Beorn’s house to the eaves of Mirkwood, what does Bilbo see at dusk prowling nearby (he sees this same thing again in the morning when the Company sets the ponies free to return to Beorn’s house)?

A bear. psssstt... It's really Beorn

5. What is Gandalf’s final bit of advice to the Company before he leaves them at the edge of Mirkwood?

DON'T LEAVE THE PATH! WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LEAVE THE PATH!!!!! Which, of course, they do, as soon as they can.

1. The Company has a discussion about their next moves after they climb down from the Carrock, sitting in a little cave at the foot of the steps near the ford. After they finish the discussion, what is the next thing they all do?Follow Gandalf to Beorn's place.

2.Name two kinds of animals that act as Beorn’s servants.Horses/ponies, sheep. They would make fine waiters if they didn't get hair in the food, but dwarves are probably used to hair in their food and food in their hair. Of course, Thorin's hair never get's messy. Extra credit for mentioning Thorin's hair?

3.When Beorn returns from his excursion, as part of his explanation for what he’s been up to, he shows the Company two things that he’s just put outside his house. What are these two things?head of a goblin on a stake and the skin of a warg. ewww! You know PJ will put this in the movie. 4.While the Company journeys from Beorn’s house to the eaves of Mirkwood, what does Bilbo see at dusk prowling nearby (he sees this same thing again in the morning when the Company sets the ponies free to return to Beorn’s house)?A creature in the woods...might be Beorn as a bear watching them. Bilbo was doing a great Legolas impression. Bilbo, what do your hobbit eyes see?

5.What is Gandalf’s final bit of advice to the Company before he leaves them at the edge of Mirkwood?Stay on the path through Mirkwood. I would have said leave a bread crumb (or cram crum) trail, but Bombur would have eaten it. "Why, to think of it, we're in the same tale still! It's going on. Don't the great tales never end?" -Samwise

1. no idea 2. ponies, can't think what else 3. a warg skin and a goblin head 4. a great bear 5. don't leave the path ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories

***Reminder: please do NOT use the chapter title in your subject line!***
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It's not supposed to be known until you've read Roheryn's post, AND understood that you're NOT to read it before answering! Placing it in the subject line gives others somewhat of an "advantage". Thanks! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. They take a warm bath and make sure they look their best to go see Beorn. Or they go to Beorn's house a group at a time. 2. Ponies and dogs. (Unicorns and faries because he loves fairy tales) 3. A goblin's head and an autographed picture of Azog. 4. A bear(Beorn) 5. Follow the yellow brick road after all you're off to see the wizard. (Stay on the path.) " He has just as much reason to go to war as you do. Why can he not fight for those he loves?"

1. You really want to know??? This is a family friendly board, remember??? Oh well, they take a bath (how very uncommon for a dwarve, and do you have any idea how long it takes to: untangle all that hair, shampoo, condition, rinse, rinse again, put in moisterizers, rinse, rinse again, put in de-frizz and heat protection, than blow drying, modelling and adding all that gel, curling aid and gloss takes???

2. Dogs and sheep!! (my favourite scene. My dog at home didn't want to cooperate, so I'm still sitting at an empty table.

3. Nasty, icky, jucky, things..... An Orc head and ..... and ..... (.... can't remember the second thing and I really don't want to add that loop hole name here....)

4. A big bear. Bilbo thought it was because of lack of sleep he was dreaming of sleeping and thus a giant teddy bear was showing in his dreams.

1. The Company has a discussion about their next moves after they climb down from the Carrock, sitting in a little cave at the foot of the steps near the ford. After they finish the discussion, what is the next thing they all do? They take off their clothes and bathe in the stream! (It's canon, PJ)

2. Name two kinds of animals that act as Beorn’s servants. Dogs on their hind legs annnd....a hedgehog called Sebastian?

3. When Beorn returns from his excursion, as part of his explanation for what he’s been up to, he shows the Company two things that he’s just put outside his house. What are these two things? An orc head and spear?

4. While the Company journeys from Beorn’s house to the eaves of Mirkwood, what does Bilbo see at dusk prowling nearby (he sees this same thing again in the morning when the Company sets the ponies free to return to Beorn’s house)? An enormous bear

5. What is Gandalf’s final bit of advice to the Company before he leaves them at the edge of Mirkwood? Don't leave the path! "...under all there was a great joy: a fountain of mirth enough to set a kingdom laughing, were it to gush forth."

*Ro stretches and gets up lazily from her vantage point overlooking the ford at the base of the Carrock* Well done, everyone! Thanks to everyone who participated in this week’s quiz. Average score was 3.4, so slightly better than perfectly mediocre! If you didn’t get #1 right, I expect you’ll never forget the answer again. I vote we petition PJ for including that scene -- and strictly following book canon. As always, each correct answer was worth 1 point; half-points aren’t awarded (i.e., for 2-part answers, you have to get both parts right to get the point). Please do let me know if you have any comments or queries!*Ro wanders off wondering where the next vantage point will be*ANSWERS1.The Company has a discussion about their next moves after they climb down from the Carrock, sitting in a little cave at the foot of the steps near the ford. After they finish the discussion, what is the next thing they all do?“Then they took off their clothes and bathed in the river…” 2.Name two kinds of animals that act as Beorn’s servants.“Some horses, very sleek and well-groomed, trotted up across the grass and looked at them intently…; then off they galloped to the buildings.” “Beorn clapped his hands, and in trotted four beautiful white ponies and several large long-bodied grey dogs. … Then baa – baa – baa! was heard, and in came some snow-white sheep led by a large coal-black ram.” [Needed 2 of these 5 for the point]3.When Beorn returns from his excursion, as part of his explanation for what he’s been up to, he shows the Company two things that he’s just put outside his house. What are these two things?“A goblin’s head was stuck outside the gate and a warg-skin was nailed to a tree just beyond.” [Needed both for the point!]4.While the Company journeys from Beorn’s house to the eaves of Mirkwood, what does Bilbo see at dusk prowling nearby (he sees this same thing again in the morning when the Company sets the ponies free to return to Beorn’s house)?“As the light faded Bilbo thought he saw away to the right, or to the left, the shadowy form of a great bear prowling along in the same direction.” “As they went away Bilbo could have sworn that a thing like a bear left the shadow of the trees and shambled off quickly after them.”5.What is Gandalf’s final bit of advice to the Company before he leaves them at the edge of Mirkwood?“They heard his voice come faintly: ‘Good-bye! Be good, take care of yourselves – and DON’T LEAVE THE PATH!’”

OMG! How could I have forgotten about the naked bathing part!?
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I wish PJ included naked hobbits bathing or running around on the grass in FOTR, but alas he did not, so I'm not going to get too excited for a naked dwarf scene. But there is always hope..."Why, to think of it, we're in the same tale still! It's going on. Don't the great tales never end?" -Samwise

this is one place where PJ will deviate from book-canon, drat it. I still maintain with artistically placed shrubberies and sufficiently opaque riverwater, it could be a fun scene...like the Parth Galen bathing scene in FOTR (what? you don't remember that one?).

You're right that PJ's not too likely to go there...he wouldn't even let RA go shirtless in the brief "And he never forgave, and he never forgot" scene (the first design of that scene had him shirtless).